Population growth estimates reinforce Rotorua direction

Confirmed population growth estimates for
Rotorua reinforce the need for future-focussed projects and
planning to cater for ongoing change, Mayor Steve Chadwick
says.

Stats NZ has today released its finalised annual
subnational population data which estimates Rotorua’s
population at 72,500 (at 30 June 2018), an increase of 800
(1.1%) on last year (71,700). The district’s population
has increased by a total 6% since the 2013
Census.

“Ongoing growth is a positive for our district
– without it we will stagnate and go backwards,” Mayor
Chadwick says. “During the past five years we have set out
to actively change how Rotorua was trending, establishing a
long-term vision for the district and building a strategic
framework to deliver the vision, all with an eye on the
future.

“That’s not to say we still don’t have
challenges but we are certainly headed in the right
direction. We are reversing a previous trend which had
Rotorua declining and we are now seeing increased confidence
in our district as a viable and attractive place to not only
visit but to live, do business and invest,” the mayor
says.

“The evidence of that is everywhere to see with
new commercial buildings, new developments and new
businesses appearing across the city in recent years, along
with reinvestment in existing businesses and tourist
attractions. Other economic indicators also point to ongoing
growth.”

Latest estimated GDP growth for Rotorua, for
the year to June 2018, was 4% (Infometrics) while Telfer
Young surveys show an ongoing reduction in both vacant space
in Rotorua’s CBD (2017 survey and September 2018 Insight
report) and industrial vacancy rates which are at their
lowest since 2004 (2018 survey).

Mayor Chadwick says the
confirmed population figures suggest the growth assumptions
made for Council’s 2018-28 Long-term Plan are correct,
reinforcing the need to ensure Rotorua is well prepared for
further growth by progressing infrastructure and other
projects that will cater to ongoing increased growth and
demand.

“The growth we are seeing also highlights the
need for ongoing Central Government investment in our
district and confirms the need for the Rotorua spatial plan
which Council adopted this year to ensure that as we keep
growing, we will do so in a sustainable, planned and
well-considered way.”

Housing and a need for more
industrial land remain a key challenge in the face of
growth, although this is not unique to Rotorua, Mayor
Chadwick says.

“We continue to do what we can to
encourage landowners and developers to unlock land for
housing and industrial development – Council consenting
staff report there is quite a lot in the pipeline so
presumably it is a matter of timing for landowners,
developers and individuals. It would be my hope that
confirmation of ongoing growth and demand will be another
reason to prompt them to push the green light on their
plans.”

Rotorua population
graph

(Note: Stats NZ
started annual population estimates for territorial
authorities in 2007, prior to which these were done only
during Census years)

Scoop Citizen Members and ScoopPro Organisations are the lifeblood of Scoop.

20 years of independent publishing is a milestone, but your support is essential to keep Scoop thriving. We are building on our offering with new In-depth Engaged Journalism platform - thedig.nz.
Find out more and join us:

The focus of Labour’s alleged sexual assault scandal has now shifted from the party organisation to the Beehive... This is now a crisis of Beehive management and response, not something occurring at a distance within the party organisation.

Presumably, the QC appointed to clarify what happened will eventually shed light on key issues. Such as: on what date prior to the publication of the original Spinoff article did the party hierarchy/PM’s office/PM’s press secretary realise they were dealing with a sexual assault allegation, and what did they do about it at that point? More>>

ALSO:

An official pardon for Tūhoe prophet and leader Rua Kēnana is one step closer after the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua Kēnana: Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill was read in Parliament for the first time today. More>>

“We have listened carefully to the growing calls from New Zealanders to know more about our own history and identity. With this in mind it makes sense for the National Curriculum to make clear the expectation that our history is part of the local curriculum and marau ā kura in every school and kura,” Jacinda Ardern said. More>>

Jacinda Ardern: “This morning I was provided some of the correspondence from complainants written to the party several months ago. It confirms that the allegations made were extremely serious, that the process caused complainants additional distress, and that ultimately, in my view, the party was never equipped to appropriately deal with the issue…" More>>

A recent trip to China has raised questions over who the Opposition leader Simon Bridges met with and why... Anne-Marie Brady, a Canterbury University professor and expert on Chinese politics, has described Guo Shengkun as the leader of the Chinese secret police. More>>

Torture is a crime under international law. New Zealand has signed (a) the UN convention against torture and (b) formal agreements about how armed conflict should be conducted. That’s the legal backdrop to the fascinating report released this week by the SIS Inspector-General.